the PIPELINE: Style on Tap

• July 13, 2009 3:54 PM
• On The Verge

Rat Attack! More Rodents Get The Fashion Treatment

By Molly Smith

While we've already shared our (freaked out) view on taxidermic accessories, we're way more into Sydney-based Make Believe's slightly more playful take on critter accoutrements. Sisters Amber Joy and Ebony Fleur create statement necklaces and brooches from resin-coated roses...and toy rats, toads, and snakes. The duo's signature neckpieces, with big, shiny, vinylesque blooms on lengths of thick gold chain, took an animal turn at the Antipodium show at Australian Fashion Week. Plasticized ivory rats and toads hang out on a nest of gathered gold chain on one model, and a black snake slithers out of a floral brooch on another. While the runway looks aren't yet available online, rumor is that more styles are in the works. We'll leave the real animals with the taxidermist, thankyouverymuch—but these PETA-friendly versions might just do the trick.

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• July 8, 2009 2:15 PM
• On The Verge

Star Watch! Julie Eilenberger's Intergalactic, Out-of-This-World Collection

By Xiyin Tang

One of the brightest young stars (literally!) to come out of Berlin Fashion Week was 24-year-old Julie Eilenberger, who crafted an imaginative collection of extra-planetary pieces that conjure up a younger and hipper Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga, while channeling a radiance all her own. Shoulders are big, and Eilenberger's echo Tisci for Givenchy's elaborately padded chiffon, while a floor-length white gown gets an extra twist at the top with knotted shoulders, a refreshing take on the trend. Not to mention, the galactic print is positively out of this world. (The Coveted)

• June 12, 2009 1:31 PM
• On The Verge

Star Watch! 18-Year-Old Designer Daniela Jacobs Wows Us With Her Third Collection

By Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi

Okay, we might be a little partial because 18-year-old designer Daniela Jacobs is our insanely gifted intern...but so what! The girl is ridiculously talented. She debuted her first collection of her label Allora at just 15 and she designs, patterns, and sews everything herself. And while she's already showing signs of a seasoned pro, she'll be attending Parsons in the fall to take her bad-ass designer skills to even new heights. Last night, she revealed her third Allora collection, presenting 40 looks in an intimate runway show at TriBeCa design store Room. Truth be told, this newbie got a better turnout than most designers at Fashion Week! In attendance were Steven Alan, Lisa Mayock, Teen Vogue's Naomi Nevitt and Evonne Gambrell, as well as yours truly. Take a look Daniela's handiwork...and consider yourself alerted. She is One to Watch.


Above, from left: Allora designer Daniela Jacobs, models backstage.





Above, from left: Models backstage at Allora.

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• March 25, 2009 3:51 PM
• On The Verge

WOOOOO Mag is Bright, Pocket-Sized, D-I-Y Fun

By Xiyin Tang

If you're going to name your magazine Wooooo, you better have the stuff to back it up. Thankfully, Jason Crombie's quirky-cool anti-magazine delivers. We say anti because it's pocket-sized rather than mag-sized, decidedly not glossy, and reads more like a novel, despite the fact that it's filled with interviews. Agyness Deyn graces the sixth installment of this tiny, handy read, and Christopher Bollen (of V and Interview) and Aaron Rose (remember that "artist" on Gossip Girl of the same name?) are just some of the big names involved. Reading Wooooo reminds us of tucking an inspirational, beat-up book (like Jesus' Son or On the Road) in your back pocket and going for a long drive, maybe while yelling Wooooo out the window. But now our fingers are getting tired of typing the five o's, so why not pick up an issue and see for yourself?

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• March 11, 2009 4:12 PM
• On The Verge

More Than Just a Name, A Talented New Ovitz Takes the Spotlight

By Megan Baldwin

Oftentimes, L.A designers can get a bad rap. But Kimberly Ovitz is quickly proving that there's more to the left coast than denim and sun-tans. After stints as an intern at the Chanel ateliers in Paris and also with J. Crew, the young Ovitz (spawn of legendary Michael, of course) launched her eponymous line in spring 2008. And while her resume is impressive—not everyone gets the chance to put in time with Karl—so is her line. There's an austere, no-frills vibe at work here, seen in riffs on equestrian staples like jodhpur pants and corset belts. But it's also her beautifully luxed-up basics like slouchy tunics and updated hostess sheaths that show she's not just another cool-girl designer with a Google-able last name. For fall the Ovitz mood remains true to Ovitz's androgynous aesthetic, and offers up slightly more mature cuts and concepts—pieces that will no doubt translate no matter what coast you happen to be on.

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• February 4, 2009 12:15 PM
• On The Verge

Mary Katrantzou's Reality-Meets-Fiction Pop Pretty Dresses

By Xiyin Tang

If there's one designer name you'll want to know in the upcoming months, it's Mary Katrantzou. The Greek-born designer makes pop-art-bright dresses embossed with tromp-l'oeil prints of oversized, weighty, baroque-style jewelry. The statement-making dresses have already caught the eyes of London retailer Browns, who'll be carrying her line in the Spring. Not bad for a 25 year old who only graduated from Central Saint Martins last February. If you want to get your hands on her highly covetable, wearable art but don't quite have the dough, you might want to consider investing in a piece from her actual jewelry collection, like the gold metal cuffs and candy-colored necklaces. Think of it as your chance to buy into your wildest technicolor dreams. (Set Your Style)

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